[[quoteright:282:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/usa_network.png]]

->'''[[Creator/JasonSudeikis Host]]:''' What is ''Series/BurnNotice''?
->'''[[Creator/AshtonKutcher Contestant]]:''' Well, I know it's on USA, and I know that ''characters'' are ''welcome'' there. Sooooo...it's a show about...characters?
->'''Host:''' Can you be more specific?
->'''Contestant:''' No.
-->--'''''Series/SaturdayNightLive''''', "What is ''Burn Notice''?"

The USA Network is a cable channel owned by Creator/{{NBCUniversal}} (initially it was owned together by Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/{{Paramount}} and Creator/{{HBO}}, but HBO sold their stake in 1987 and Paramount sold out in 1997). Initially debuting as the Madison Square Garden Network from 1977 to 1980 ([[SimilarlyNamedWorks no, not the one that shows the Knicks and Rangers]], although they were staples of the network's early years). Over the years, it has shown a variety of series and events, most notably ''Wrestling/WWERaw'' (through 2024, after which it moves to Creator/{{Netflix}}), ''[[Wrestling/WWESmackdown Smackdown]]'' (until it moved to Creator/{{Fox}} in 2019; it will return to the USA Network in October 2024) and ''Wrestling/{{WWENXT}}'', ''Series/{{Monk}}'', ''Series/{{Psych}}'', ''Series/BurnNotice'', the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and US Open UsefulNotes/{{tennis}}.

Back in the 80s and early 90's, it was essentially cable's "melting pot", or less favorably, "used car" network. It reran everything under the sun--from the usual assortment of sitcoms, dramas, movies, cartoons and sports, to the less expected, such as game shows, court shows, and news updates. During the early to mid 90s their slogan was "The Remote Stops Here", to emphasize the variety of programming and that theoretically you could stay tuned and see everything.

They started changing in the mid-90s, dropping the court and game shows and starting to focus more on original productions and off-net reruns, with the slick, CGI-heavy look dropped in favor of a new, "star" logo, and a look based off a behind-the-scenes look at the fictional "USA Studios" (which was now the brand for USA original programming). This was replaced in 1999 with a new "flag" logo and flat CGI graphics (they had dropped the cartoons and news updates by this point); that lasted until 2005, when the current logo and look was adopted. However, this isn't a case of NetworkDecay--primarily because USA catered to a wide audience, and never really had much of a focus.

In 1998, media mogul Barry Diller bought the USA network and Universal's television division. Diller, the former CEO of Paramount and Fox, and owner of the Home Shopping Network (HSN), decided to use these assets to create a new conglomerate, USA Networks Inc. Diller re-branded Universal Television as ''Studios USA'', which continued making the Universal shows for networks, cable and syndication. When Universal bought USA back in 2002 it was renamed back to Universal TV; there were also film and home entertainment divisions (the former created by merging October Films and Creator/GramercyPictures after he acquired them along with USA, and has since become Creator/FocusFeatures, the latter absorbed into Universal's video division). Diller also created ''USA Broadcasting'' and began converting his over-the-air HSN stations into independent stations airing syndicated and local programming (a format dubbed ''[=CityVision=]'', and modeled after Canada's Creator/{{Citytv}}); this experiment was carried out in Miami, Boston, Atlanta, and Dallas, but any further attempts to expand the format were quashed by fiscal issues (indeed, the New York station was on the verge of switching to the new format) and the stations were sold, after a bidding war with Creator/{{ABC}}, to Univision (which utilized the stations to form a secondary network named Telefutura, since renamed [=UniMas=]).

One of USA's notable [[AccidentalPun characteristics]] from the early 2000s to the 2010s was their programming choices and their focus on unique characters, which gave the network the [[{{Slogans}} tag line]] ''USA: Characters Welcome'' . They liked to make new shows with unique premises starring talented but largely unrecognized C- or D-list actors, but with an optimistic edge to their characters who are usually [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerks with Hearts of Gold]] and promoted by the network under a theme known as the "[[http://intersectedlightly.wordpress.com/2010/08/07/usa-networks-blue-skies-theme-is-it-right-for-chuck/ Blue Skies]]" concept. This worked out pretty well; how many Emmys did ''Series/{{Monk}}'' win again?[[labelnote:answer]]Six[[/labelnote]] Often, they guest-starred actors from cancelled shows on sister NBC Universal networks Creator/{{Syfy}} and NBC.

Starting in TheNewTens, USA began moving away from its "Blue Skies" programming concept and deliberately commissioned series that were significantly DarkerAndEdgier and HotterAndSexier than the frothy procedurals the network had become known for. Shows like ''Series/{{Suits}}'', ''Series/{{Complications}}'', ''Satisfaction'', and ''Series/MrRobot'' all featured dramatic storylines along with more swearing, sex, and drug use. Even older comedic shows like ''Series/RoyalPains'' started veering towards drama rather than laughs. To some, this symbolized USA's entry into an AudienceAlienatingEra as the response to many shows was that they were being "adult" simply for the sake of being "adult" rather than actually addressing mature themes through meaningful stories. The fact that outside of ''Series/{{Suits}}''[[note]]the first of the darker shows that acted as a transition away from the Blue Skies concept by keeping the Blue Skies-era's core idea of the two main characters having a strong platonic relationship[[/note]] and ''Series/MrRobot''[[note]]which is truly unique in its concept and execution[[/note]] many of these new shows had short runs seems to be testament to that. In fact, not a single USA show that debuted from 2012 to 2015 managed to survive. However, it is a decision USA stuck to. When ''Series/RoyalPains'', the last of the "Blue Skies"-era shows, ended in 2016, USA no longer had any truly family-friendly programming on its slate or in development.

This ushered in USA's "We the Bold"-era. Coinciding with the quiet retirement of the network's "Characters Welcome" tagline, this new phase sees USA Network doubling down on its DarkerAndEdgier programming. Its original-scripted programming is now entirely made up of intense dramas conceived to push the boundaries of what's acceptable on basic cable. As a consequence of this decision, future ''Series/{{Psych}}'' movies will be jumping over to NBC's Creator/{{Peacock}} streaming service as its cheerful nature is now the antithesis of USA Network's current slate.

By The New Twenties, rumblings of another new phase began to emerge, marked by USA's shift from scripted programming to cheaper, unscripted entertainment as well as miniseries. This was signaled by the announcement of NBC Sports Network ceasing operations by the end of 2021, with most of its sports coverage moving to USA Network afterward (though some events on NBCSN were simulcast on USA prior to the closure). This could signal a return-to-the-roots sort of phase, where USA had a more diverse variety of programming until the mid-'90s. USA currently has only one ongoing scripted program, ''Series/{{Chucky}}'', which it shares with Creator/{{Syfy}}.

!!USA Network original programming (also includes foreign programs with first-run rights)
'''Bold''' denotes ongoing programs.
[[index]]
* ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'' (2004-07)
* ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' (1987) -- The final season of this show was made for this channel, though it was known as the season with NoBudget.
* ''Series/AlfredHitchcockPresents'' (1987-89) -- Season 2-4; Season 1 aired on NBC.
* ''Series/AmericanBandstand'' (1989)
* ''Series/TheBiggestLoser'' (2020)
* ''Series/{{Briarpatch}}'' (2020), a miniseries starring Creator/RosarioDawson
* ''Series/BumperStumpers'' (1987-90) -- Canadian-produced game show from Dan Enright and Wink Martindale. Hosted by Al Dubois, and aired in Canada on Global TV.
* ''Series/BurnNotice'' (2007-13)[[/index]]
* ''Calliope'' (1978-83), a response to Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''Series/{{Pinwheel}}''.
* ''Campus Cops'' (1996), a mid-1990s sitcom
* ''Check it Out'' (1985-88), a NoBudget Canadian sitcom (co-produced by USA), which was an adaptation of the notably bad British sitcom ''Tripper's Day''. It's all about a fictional supermarket and its weird crew of employees, centered on the OnlySaneMan store manager played by Creator/DonAdams, of all people. It managed to run three seasons (''Tripper's Day'' only lasted one) and also had a stint in FirstRunSyndication at the same time as its USA run.[[index]]
* '''''Series/{{Chucky}}''''' (2021-present) -- Simultaneously aired on Syfy.
* ''Commander USA's Groovie Movies'' (1985-89) -- Showcased horror and science fiction movies on Saturdays and Sundays.
* ''Series/{{Colony}}'' (2016)
* ''Series/{{Complications}}'' (2016-18)
* ''Series/CommonLaw'' (2012)
* ''Series/CovertAffairs'' (2010-14)
* ''Series/{{Damnation}}'' (2017-18)
* ''Dance Party USA'' (1986-92) -- Philadelphia Dancing program. Originally a local series on WPHL-TV from 1981 to 1987 called ''Dancin' On Air''.
* ''Film/DarkPrinceTheTrueStoryOfDracula'' (2000)
* ''Series/DareMe'' (2019-20)
* ''Series/TheDeadZone'' (2002-07)
* ''Series/TheDickCavettShow'' (1985-86)
* ''Dig'' (2015)
* ''Series/DirtyJohn'' (2020) -- Moved from Bravo.
* ''Series/{{Donny}}'' (2015)
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'' (1994-97) -- Animated series from the creators of ''Rugrats''.
* ''[[Series/Eyewitness2016 Eyewitness]]'' (2016)
* ''Series/FairlyLegal'' (2011-12)
* ''Series/FallingWater'' (2016, 2018)
* ''The New/$40,000 Series/ChainReaction'' (1986-91) -- Canadian-produced revival hosted by Blake Emmons for a short while, and then by Geoff Edwards. Aired in Canada on Global TV. (USA also aired reruns of the Cullen version before this version premiered.)
* ''Series/{{Graceland}}'' (2013-15)
* ''WesternAnimation/HighlanderTheAnimatedSeries'' (1994-95)
* ''Series/TheHitchhiker'' (1989-91) -- Season 5-6; the first four seasons aired on HBO.
* ''Series/InPlainSight'' (2008-12)
* ''Series/{{Jackpot}}'' (1985-88) -- Canadian-produced revival hosted by Mike Darrow, and aired in Canada on Global TV.
* ''WesternAnimation/JonnysGoldenQuest'' (1993 revival telefilm of ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'', subsequent revival projects aired on Creator/{{TBS}}, Creator/{{TNT}} and Creator/CartoonNetwork)
* ''Series/{{Kojak}}'' (2005) -- Short-lived reboot of the 1970s CBS series.
* ''Series/LaFemmeNikita'' (1997-2001) -- Canadian-produced program starring Peta Wilson, based on the 1990 French film ''Nikita''.
* ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' (2007-11) -- The series moved from NBC to USA after the sixth season.
* ''Series/{{Monk}}'' (2002-09)
* ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'' (1996)
* ''Series/MrRobot'' (2015-17, 2019)
* ''Series/NashvilleStar'' (2003-07)
* ''Series/NecessaryRoughness'' (2011-13)[[/index]]
* ''Night Flight'' (1981-88) -- Aired on Fridays and Saturdays late at night. A freewheeling compendium of music videos, concert films, CultClassic movies (mainstays included ''Film/ReeferMadness'' and ''Film/PinkFlamingos''), plus live-action and animated shorts. In its final year, it introduced ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' to the continental United States with a ''[[Series/KagakuSentaiDynaman Dynaman]]'' parody dub.
* ''Series/PacificBlue'' (1996-2000)[[index]]
* ''Film/ThePerfectBride'' (1991) -- MadeForTVMovie.
* ''Series/{{Playing House|2014}}'' (2014-15, 2017)
* ''Series/PoliticalAnimals'' (2012) -- Critically-acclaimed political mini-series.
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'' (2006-14, 2017)
* ''Series/{{The Purge|2018}}'' (2018-19) - a 10-episode miniseries based on [[Film/ThePurgeUniverse the film series of the same name]].
* ''Series/QueenOfTheSouth'' (2016-19, 2021)
* ''Radio 1990'' (1983-86), a music video show
* ''Series/TheRayBradburyTheater'' (1985-1992) -- first season aired on Creator/{{HBO}}.
* ''Series/{{Renegade}}'' (1996-97) -- The first four seasons aired in syndication.
* ''Series/RoyalPains'' (2009-16)
* ''Series/{{Rush|2014}}'' (2014)
* ''Series/{{Shooter}}'' (2016-18)
* ''Series/SilkStalkings'' (1993-99 episodes) -- After two seasons on CBS from 1991 to 1993, this crime drama jumped ship to USA for its next six seasons.
* ''Series/TheSinner'' (2017-18, 2020-21)
* ''Series/{{Sirens|US}}'' (2014-15)
* ''WesternAnimation/StreetFighter'' (1995-97)[[/index]]
* ''Smush'' (2001-02) -- Short-lived game show hosted by [[Series/RemoteControl Ken Ober]].[[index]]
* ''Series/{{Suits}}'' (2011-19)
** ''Series/{{Pearson}}'' (2019)
* ''Series/TattooedTeenageAlienFightersFromBeverlyHills'' (1994-95) -- USA’s second “sentai” show (after ''Dynaman''), as well as their attempt at producing a completely American take on ''Power Rangers'' that didn't have footage recycled from a tokusatsu series.
* ''Series/TekWar'' (1995) -- Canadian co-production (aired on CTV in Canada), the first four episodes were broadcast in syndication in the US. USA only broadcast fourteen of the ordered eighteen episodes before canceling the series. The remaining four were broadcast by Sci Fi Channel when it reran the series in late 1995.
* ''Series/{{Treadstone}}'' (2019), a miniseries set in the world of Film/TheBourneSeries.
* ''Series/{{Unsolved}}'' (2018), a true crime series.[[/index]]
* ''USA Cartoon Express'' (1982-96), a block of classic and new cartoons, it was rebranded as the ''USA Action Extreme Team'' in 1996. Originally showed Creator/HannaBarbera and Creator/RubySpears cartoons that had little to no syndication demand (and weren't licensed by Ted Turner); Turner bought up the entire HB and RS libraries when forming Cartoon Network, leaving the Cartoon Express with a random assortment of pre-existing cartoons and lower-quality original cartoons until the change to ''Action Extreme Team.'' That block, which featured (in addition to ''Sailor Moon'') Universal creation ''WesternAnimation/ExoSquad,'' ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', as well as four original series: one based off ''ComicBook/TheSavageDragon,'' ''WesternAnimation/StreetFighter'' (following up from the Universal movie), ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm,'' and ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'' (all of those shows once had a CrossThrough arc involving the "Warrior King" chasing down a powerful sphere through all four shows' universes). It lasted until 1998 in favor of {{infomercial}}s and more endless repeats of ''Series/{{Wings}}'', which defined the network's image in the mid-to-late 1990s.[[index]]
* ''Series/USAHigh'' (1997-99) -- Teen comedy from the creators of ''Saved by the Bell''.[[/index]]
* ''USAM'' (1998-2002) -- A comedy block consisting of ''Series/AmericasFunniestHomeVideos'' (the Saget years), ''Wings'' and some of NBC's few 1990s "Must See TV" failures getting a second life as morning {{Filler}}.
* ''USA Fun and Games'' (1984-85), for lack of a better term, ran with shows as ''Series/TicTacDough'', ''Series/{{Pyramid}}'', ''Series/PressYourLuck'', ''Series/TheJokersWild'', ''Series/HighRollers'', ''[[Series/TheHollywoodSquares The New Hollywood Squares]]'', ''Series/{{Scrabble}}'', ''Series/SaleOfTheCentury'', ''Series/Wipeout1988'', ''Series/CaesarsChallenge'', and the Canadian game shows mentioned above; they also ran two original game shows from [[Series/ShopTilYouDrop Stone-Stanley]] [[Series/LegendsOfTheHiddenTemple Productions]] in 1994: ''Free 4 All'' and ''Quicksilver''.
* ''USA Saturday Nightmares'' (1984-94), a horror-movie block that ran on Saturday nights in TheEighties and eventually merged with ''USA Up All Night''
* ''USA Tuesday Night Fights'' (1982-98) -- Boxing program hosted by Al Albert and Sean O'Grady
* ''USA Up All Night'' (1989-98) -- A late-night interstitial program showcasing edited versions of cheesy B-Movies that typically ran on Friday and Saturday nights from 1989 to 1998. The successor to ''Night Flight'', it counts as a MorePopularReplacement that is still fondly remembered by longtime viewers.[[note]]though some, such as the author of ''Literature/WhatWereTheyThinkingThe100DumbestEventsInTelevisionHistory'', were not pleased that many of the films shown were {{bowdlerize}}d despite being shown in the hour where they would have been shown uncut and uncensored[[/note]] Creator/GilbertGottfried hosted on Saturdays from the beginning of the run in January 1989 to the end in March 1998, Caroline Schlitt hosted on Fridays from June 1989 to December 1990, and Rhonda Shear replaced her on that edition from January 1991 to March 1998. After that, only the name remained as the banner for overnight movies until 2002. Creator/AdamSandler's debut film ''Film/GoingOverboard'' (under its alternate title ''Babes Ahoy'') was featured on the show before he even joined the ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' cast.[[index]]
* ''Series/TheWarNextDoor'' (2000)
* ''[[Series/WeirdScience Weird Science: The Series]]'' (1994-98) -- Based on the 1985 film of the same name.
* ''Series/WhiteCollar'' (2009-14)
* ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'' (1996)[[/index]]
* Other Wrestling/{{WWE}}/WWF programming:
** ''Miz And Mrs.'' (2018-21): A ''Series/TotalDivas'' spinoff focusing on Wrestling/TheMiz and Wrestling/{{Maryse}}.
** ''Tuesday Night Titans'' (1984-86): A talk show in which Wrestling/VinceMcMahon interviews WWF talent interspersed with sketches, included several genre parodies with Wrestling/MrFuji.
** ''WWF Action Zone'' (1994-96): A Sunday morning program which featured high-quality matches between top talent for its first two years.
** ''WWF All American Wrestling'' (1983-94)
** ''WWF Heat'' (1998-2000): the Sunday night show which served as a pre-show on pay-per-view weeks.
** ''WWF Livewire'' (1996-2000): For a portion of its run it was a call-in talk show.
** ''WWF Mania'' (1993-96)
** ''WWF Prime Time Wrestling'' (1985-93): the direct predecessor to ''Raw'' on Monday nights.[[index]]
** ''Wrestling/WWEToughEnough'' (2011, 2015)
[[/index]]

!!Reruns
* Lots of reruns of various ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' shows (except for the original, to which TNT/Sundance/We/WGN/Ion co-own the rights)
* ''Series/ModernFamily''
* "Back-to-Back-to-Back ''Series/{{NCIS}}''" (an eight-hour block of ''NCIS'' every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday)
* ''Anime/SailorMoon'': Reruns of the [=DiC=] dub as part of the ''Action Extreme Team'' until ''Creator/{{Toonami}}'' picked it up.
* ''Series/SavedByTheBellTheNewClass'' (1993–2000) -- Was rerun from 1997 to 2001.
* ''Strip Poker'' (syndicated game show later picked up by the USA after its run ended)
* ''Series/{{Wings}}''

Also, USA Network tends to have a weekend marathon almost every weekend, picking one show from its popular lineup, which means (at the moment) all of its current original series (with the exception of ''Series/FairlyLegal'', which doesn't have enough episodes quite yet), plus ''NCIS'' (''ridiculously'' common) and ''Law & Order: SVU'' (less so).
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